| Dear Oklahoma friends and neighbors: How about our Thunder and OU Women’s Softball! We’ll have more great Thunder basketball to watch this Memorial Day weekend, but it’s important for all of us to take time to remember the reason for this holiday. Those who have worn the cloth of our nation and who gave their last full measure of devotion to our nation deserve our utmost gratitude. We should continue to teach the next generations about the ways Americans have laid down their lives in defense of our freedom. We also honor our Gold Star Families whose loved ones never came home from their service. We honor their sacrifice as well this weekend. I pray for those grieving the loss of a service member. May you know our country’s deep gratitude for our freedom. Thank you. UPDATE: The Tax and Spending Reduction Bill The House completed their version of the bill to reduce federal spending and protect our taxes from going up next year. Now the Senate can get to work on it to find even more ways to save our taxes dollars and make the tax code fair for every American. Our focus in the Senate has been on reducing spending and tackling our national debt. I have worked for months on tax policies that will help our families and small businesses, now it is time to get them implemented. I also want to allow people to deduct their non-profit gifts from their taxes again. Years ago, the deduction for non-profit donations was removed for all Americans, except those that itemize their taxes. Since only 9% of Americans itemize their taxes, there is no longer a tax deduction for nonprofit donations for 91% of Americans. One rumor I’ve heard about the budget bill is that it would take Medicaid away from children and close Oklahoma rural hospitals. That is absolutely not true. Medicaid should remain available to those who truly need it, like moms and kids without access to health care, low-income elderly people, and those with disabilities. But able-bodied adults with no children should be required to work, just like they are required to work to receive SNAP benefits (food stamps). Work brings purpose and opportunity to rise out of poverty, it should be encouraged, not discouraged. In addition to our ongoing work on the budget bill, the Senate has worked to confirm more Executive Branch nominees since January 2025 than anytime in the last 40 years. Democrats continue to fight us on every nomination just to stand in the way of the Trump Administration, so Republicans in the Senate have stayed in session many long nights to keep up our progress. Why Are We Talking about California Electric Vehicle Standards? Good question. In 2023, President Biden asked the Government Accountability Office to classify a new electric vehicle mandate for California as an “order” instead of a rule to try to slip in a nationwide electric vehicle mandate on the country without going through Congress. He waited to release this mandate after the November election because he knew the American people want to choose the type of car they drive, not be required to buy electric cars and trucks. The Senate demanded that a rule that significant to the entire country would have to go through Congress, so we used the Congressional Review Act to take down the Biden EV mandate. It was a long fight, with many technical aspects, but we won the right for Americans to once again select any vehicle they want to buy, electric or gas. If you want a complete explanation of the legislation and the fight, watch my speech on the Senate floor. CLICK HERE to watch my video discussing this. Assessing the Southern Border – San Diego Edition Earlier this month, I left Washington, DC ,for the weekend to see the dramatic change on our Southern border. At the San Diego/Tijuana border, I connected with federal law enforcement officers, toured key border facilities and received updates from the folks on the ground protecting the border. The morale and situation at the border is so much better under President Trump’s leadership. The San Diego Sector has made 45,000 apprehensions from 147 different countries—more than anywhere else in the US! I visited remote locations like “Arnie’s Point” and the “Well Draw” site, which showcase the difficulties presented by our border terrain and where gaps in the wall remain a serious vulnerability. The illegal border crossings are down 95% from just a year ago, but there is still more work to do in the law and at the border. I witnessed an illegal crossing and observed live apprehension efforts involving joint Department of Defense–Border Patrol operations, and I observed firsthand the evolving conditions on the ground, including enhanced border enforcement operations and interagency coordination in high-risk areas. I spent time at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, one of the busiest border crossings in the nation, where CBP officials highlighted the importance of ongoing facility expansion and modernization efforts. I also met with the Coast Guard, who are facing much higher numbers of illegal entries and drug smuggling as the criminal cartels continue to look for ways to get people and drugs into our nation. We talked about drug smuggling and human trafficking efforts across our southern border, and ways we can continue to combat them. Congress can’t fix what it can’t see, and trying to make our laws work for OUR border law enforcement instead of Biden’s open-border policies is that right thing to do for our national security. CLICK HERE to read more and watch videos of my time at the border in San Diego. |
Getting Relief for Oklahoma Fire Victims When the combination of wildfires and extremely high winds burned a number of structures around our state on March 14, I immediately led the delegation in a letter to President Trump requesting FEMA disaster assistance. The state also applied for assistance from the Small Business Administration (SBA). When a response on that assistance lagged, I stepped in to urge SBA to get an answer to Oklahomans quickly since we heard reports of some still living in temporary structures on their properties. This week, after rigorous follow up from my staff, SBA responded and is bringing help ASAP. |
| Allowing Stablecoin as One Type of Currency This month, the Senate continues to work on a bill to provide Stablecoin regulation. Our bill protects those who have invested in a digital currency because it is fully backed by the US dollar and by investments in the US Treasury. Ultimately Stablecoin gives more options to Oklahomans who want to use a digital currency, but will also protect and ensure the use of physical currency. |
| Congress Writes the Laws For too long, unelected bureaucrats have been writing binding rules with little accountability to Congress or the American people. Now that the Supreme Court ended what’s known as “Chevron deference,” which gave wide latitude to agencies to determine how to implement laws passed by Congress, it’s time for Congress to step up and make that accountability permanent. Small businesses in Oklahoma deserve certainty and clarity, not burdensome red tape from Washington. My Regulatory Accountability Act ensures that agencies follow the law, not write it. CLICK HERE to read more. |
| Helping Moms As the dad of two daughters, I believe every woman deserves support as she prepares to welcome a child. We need commonsense steps to make sure moms, babies, and families get connected to the resources they need right in their local community. I’ll keep fighting to protect the unborn and to equip mothers with the support they need every step of the way. That’s why I introduced the More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed (MOMS) Act. CLICK HERE to read more about how we are bringing resources to moms. |
| Opening Up US Energy after the Disastrous Biden Administration Under President Trump, American energy dominance is back. States like Oklahoma are fueling the charge. I introduced the Transparency and Honesty in Energy Regulations Act to push back on the Biden Administration’s war on American energy producers by ensuring federal rulemaking is grounded in facts—not flawed models or political agendas. CLICK HERE to read more about my bill. |
| Protecting Americans’ Conscience Rights in Medical Care When conscience protections aren’t enforced, health care workers are forced to decide whether they will lose their job or violate their beliefs by performing abortions. Many health care professionals pursued their careers to protect lives, not take lives. No one should have to choose between their career and their conscience. My bill, the Conscience Protection Act, defends health care workers and empowers them to stand by convictions as they care for their community. CLICK HERE to read more about my bill. |
I toured the US southern border in San Diego to learn more about operations on the ground at one of our nation’s busiest ports of entry, which translates to one of the busiest law enforcement challenges to keep drugs, gangs, and guns from coming across our border. It’s always good to see my friends from the Tulsa Chamber in Tulsa and it’s always good when they can make it out to Washington, DC, to meet with our congressional delegation about the issues facing businesses in Green Country. |
I met with the Oklahoma Hospital Association to find out more about how we can help medical providers in our state take care of our families. If you’re in Washington, DC, for school, a trip, or work on a Wednesday morning the Senate is in session, come by my office in 731 Hart Senate Office Building for some coffee and conversation at “Java with James.” |
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